Larsson aims to top the bill

Celtic and Manchester United top the bill on Tuesday in captain Tom Boyd's testimonial match, the final encounter at Parkhead in what could be a treble-winning season for the club. There will be the usual arguments over which side is stronger, but Larsson believes talk of competition should be set aside for 90 minutes of pleasure.

''A testimonial should be a fun game to watch,'' said the man with 51 strikes to his name this season. ''It's only right that it should be competitive, but it does not have to be taken too seriously. The last thing anyone wants is for someone to get injured.

''You want to show that we are not a bad team. You don't want to start saying that we have something to prove because the Manchester boys might take that the wrong way, and suddenly things do start to get serious. The most important thing about the night is that it should entertain the fans and that's what we intend to do.''

Like every other football fan, Larsson likes nothing better than settling down on the sofa at home to sample the delights of the Premiership and La Liga on television, but he claims he is not a professional critic, preferring to simply relish the entertainment.

''I like to watch games from all over the world and I watch Spanish football, especially games involving Barcelona and Real Madrid because of the players they have,'' said Larsson. ''I watch to be entertained. As a player, you sometimes see more of what is going on than other people, but you never get the right picture on television. I think the best way to watch a game is to be live at the stadium, preferably high up where you see everything that's going on. That way you are an expert and suddenly you are the greatest player that ever lived.''

His favourite league is the Premiership, and Tuesday's match provides the opportunity to see its champions close up. Like any fan, he can't wait to see his club engage the most famous football club in the world.

''They have really good players as well so it's a treat for the supporters who turn up to see some world-class names performing before them,'' said Larsson. ''I always liked Scholes, but then you look at Giggs, Cole, Beckham, Stam, and Wes Brown and you see there is quality through the side.''

With the caution that has been a hallmark of Celtic's overall approach to this season, Larsson is unwilling to make any rash predictions about who will lift the NTL Champions' Challenge Trophy.

Celtic have not lost a testimonial game to Ferguson's Red Devils, and another victory may make some in England begin to afford the Scottish game a respect which has been lacking in recent years. ''It's hard to say,'' said Larsson. ''We don't know how they are going to approach the game. It's easy for me to speak about it, but their approach might be completely different on the night. Once the whistle goes, it will take only a few minutes to see if they are really up for it.''

Ahead of the game, Larsson and the game's beneficiary will go through a routine that's now steeped in superstition. ''Tom and I practically live next door to each other in Bothwell,'' the Swede explained. ''We have set up an arrangement where Boydie drives us to the home games and I drive to the away games. My wife goes to all the home games so she can always give me a lift home. It's a practical arrangement but perhaps we have got a bit superstitious too; it's worked alright for us this season.''

The captain's celebrations following the 1-0 victory over St Mirren which clinched the SPL title bordered on those of a man possessed, years of frustration spilling over into unbridled joy. ''I can understand why he went a little mad; I wasn't far behind him,'' said Larsson. ''We have not had too much success in recent years but now we've won the CIS Cup and the SPL. So it should not be a surprise that Boydie celebrated a bit more than most; he has had the extra responsibility and he should be entitled to an extra celebration as well.

''He has had his share of bad luck last year. He got his injury but when he got back playing, he got injured again. So he has not been playing too much this season, with the manager restricting his appearances to every now and then. Every time he gets stripped, you see the hunger in him to win.''

Larsson will have to wait until the end of June to learn if he can add Europe's Golden Shoe to his bulging cabinet. The newspapers have appraised him of the performance of rivals on the continent so he can rattle off stats from the Dutch and Italian leagues.

''Now I know a little bit more who is behind me,'' he said. ''Shevchenko is on 21 goals and Kezman of PSV Eindhoven is on 22, but Shevchenko has another 10 games to play because the Italian League is not due to finish until the end of June. For me, the most important thing is that we won the league; the rest is a bonus if I get it.''

In any case, Larsson is revelling in his club's brilliant season; he even scored a hole-in-one at Boyd's testimonial golf day. ''It is unbelievable,'' he said. ''Maybe this is pay-back time for the bad luck I endured last season, when I broke my leg. Maybe this season I am getting some good luck again.''

l Awards seem to be raining down on Henrik Larsson, who was recently voted Player of the Year by his fellow professionals and the Scottish football writers.

Now the Celtic striker, who has scored 51 goals this season, has been named Scottish Player of the Year by FourFourTwo magazine, voted for by a combination of fans, players, managers, referees, and journalists. The top 10 in the poll were:

1, Henrik Larsson (Celtic); 2, Franck Sauzee (Hibs); 3, Russell Latapy (Hibs); 4, Claudio Caniggia (Dundee); 5, Andy McLaren (Kilmarnock); 6, Charlie Miller (Dundee United; 7, Gavin Rae (Dundee); 8, Antti Niemi (Hearts); 9, Barry Ferguson (Rangers); 10, Joos Valgaeren (Celtic).